REST (Representational State Transfer) API and Web Services are two different approaches to building applications that allow communication between different systems or software components.
REST is a style of software architecture that defines a set of constraints to be used when creating web services. It is based on the HTTP protocol and uses HTTP methods (such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE) to access and manipulate resources. A RESTful API is an implementation of a REST architecture that allows for simple, lightweight communication between different systems.
The REST API Browser provides a visual overview of the structure and capabilities of the REST web services Record API. The data presented in the REST API Browser is based on OpenAPI 3.0 metadata.
Web Services, on the other hand, are a set of protocols and standards used for exchanging data between different applications or systems over the internet. They are designed to provide a standard way for different systems to communicate with each other regardless of the programming language or platform they are built on.
The NetSuite REST web services provide an integration channel that extends the capabilities of SuiteTalk. REST web services provide a REST-based interface for interacting with NetSuite.
Using REST web services, you can:
- Use CRUD (create, read, update, delete) operations to perform business processing on NetSuite records and to navigate dynamically between records.
- Get and process the API definition and record metadata.
- Execute NetSuite queries on records.
In summary, REST is a specific style of building web services that uses HTTP methods and is focused on simplicity and scalability. Web Services, on the other hand, are a broader set of protocols and standards that encompass a variety of technologies for exchanging data between different applications or systems.